Application and effectiveness of a portable hydrodynamic test flume

The design and construction of a small test flume (i.e., recirculating water tank) to create a steady laminar flow that simulates the natural flow of fluid around a moving vehicle was developed at Florida Institute of Technology. The propulsion system of the flume is comprised of eight Tesla discs to create laminar flow using boundary layer effects. As the discs rotate, fluid drag is created and kinetic energy is transferred through layers of fluid molecules between the discs, generating outward velocities and pressure gradients creating a force that ‘pulls’ the water through the system in a smooth, pulsation-free flow. The use of laminar flow enables the engineer to study and record accurately the drag and resistance acting on vessels or other components. The flume is designed to be small and inexpensive allowing students, instructors, and researchers to conduct experiments in small places such as a classroom.